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A Legal Clash That Never Went to Trial

Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, has once again dropped his lawsuit against Fox News, ending a controversial legal battle that accused the conservative media giant of broadcasting explicit content and defaming him through a 2022 dramatized series.

This marks the second time in under a year that Biden has voluntarily withdrawn similar legal action against Fox. In both instances, the lawsuits revolved around a six-part digital miniseries hosted on Fox Nation, which simulated a fictional trial focused on Hunter Biden’s foreign business ties, substance abuse, and personal scandals.

Legal Accusations: “Revenge Porn” and Defamation

In his latest legal filing, Hunter Biden accused Fox News of:

• Violating “revenge porn” laws, by distributing sexually explicit photos allegedly obtained from his abandoned laptop.
• Defamation, for suggesting criminal behavior including foreign lobbying, which was never proven in court.

Although his legal team provided no public explanation for dropping the case, the decision came shortly after they failed to move the case from federal court to New York state court, a shift that may have been strategically favorable.

Biden's lawyers filed to dismiss the case “with prejudice”, meaning the claims cannot be brought back to court in the future.

Fox News Responds: “Politically Motivated Stunt”

Fox News Media quickly celebrated the dismissal. In a statement to CNN, a spokesperson said:

“We are pleased to move on now that Hunter Biden has finally voluntarily withdrawn this meritless case, which proved to be nothing more than a politically motivated stunt.”

The miniseries in question, which was quietly removed from the Fox Nation streaming platform in April 2024 after legal threats, focused on Biden’s dealings in Ukraine and China, his admitted drug and alcohol abuse, and intimate images involving multiple women—most of which allegedly came from the now-infamous “laptop from hell.”

The Legal Timeline: A Pattern of Filing and Dropping

• June 2023: Biden first threatened legal action against Fox.
• July 2023: He filed the initial lawsuit—but withdrew it weeks later.
• October 2023: A new version of the lawsuit was filed.
• June 2025: He officially dropped the case “with prejudice,” signaling a final retreat.

This repeated pattern has left critics questioning the strength—or strategy—behind Biden’s legal efforts.

Related Legal Troubles and Withdrawn Lawsuits

This isn’t Hunter Biden’s only recent legal reversal. He has dropped at least three major lawsuits in the past year:

1. IRS Lawsuit: In April 2025, Biden withdrew a lawsuit against the IRS, in which he alleged that whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler unlawfully disclosed his confidential tax information to Congress. Filed in 2023, the case was meant to address what Biden called a “brazen violation” of taxpayer privacy.
2. Laptop Lawsuit: He also dropped a case filed against a former Trump White House aide over the alleged unauthorized distribution of content from his laptop.
3. Fox Lawsuit (twice): Both filings against Fox News have now been dismissed voluntarily.

In response to the IRS suit being dropped, Shapley and Ziegler said in a statement:

“We truly wanted our day in court to provide the complete story, but it appears Mr. Biden was afraid to actually fight this case in a court of law after all.”

Both whistleblowers have since been elevated to high-level positions within the IRS and Treasury under the Trump administration. In April, Trump briefly appointed Shapley as acting IRS commissioner, though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly forced him out days later.

Background on Criminal Convictions

Hunter Biden has not escaped legal consequences entirely. In late 2024, he was convicted on federal gun charges and separately pleaded guilty to multiple tax offenses connected to his overseas business activities. Despite these charges:

• He was not convicted of illegal foreign lobbying, a central narrative of the Fox miniseries.
• He avoided sentencing after President Joe Biden issued a full presidential pardon in December 2024, drawing backlash for reversing earlier statements pledging no clemency for family members.

Media, Politics, and Public Perception

This legal saga illustrates the increasingly blurred lines between media narratives, political influence, and legal accountability in the U.S. At the heart of the controversy is not just Hunter Biden’s legal standing, but how his image has been used to attack or defend President Joe Biden during a volatile election cycle.

Public opinion remains divided:

• A recent Pew Research survey (May 2025) found that 57% of Americans believe Hunter Biden has been unfairly targeted by conservative media.
• Conversely, 43% believe Fox News was exercising journalistic freedom in covering a high-profile public figure.

A Final Chapter—or Just Another Pause?

While Hunter Biden’s lawsuits against Fox and the IRS are now closed chapters, his legal and political exposure is far from over. He remains a symbolic flashpoint in ongoing debates over privacy, partisanship, and press freedom in American society.

With high-profile pardons, mounting criticism, and dropped lawsuits piling up, Hunter Biden’s legal strategy seems less about resolution—and more about damage control in the court of public opinion.